Quick start

Get up and running with the Scalar API in minutes. This guide will walk you through obtaining your API key and making your first request.

1. Get your API key

All requests to the API must be authenticated. You can generate and manage your API keys in the Scalar dashboard:

1. Navigate to Settings > API (located in the API & Integrations section).
2. Click Generate API key.
3. Copy the key and store it securely.

API key format

API keys use a prefix to help you identify their environment:

• Live keys: scalar*live*<token>
• Test keys: scalar*test*<token>

2. Make your first request

We'll use the Ideas endpoint for this example. Replace <your-host> with your Scalar instance URL and scalar*live*... with your actual API key.

Using the Authorization header (Recommended)

curl -sS \
  -H 'Authorization: Api-Key scalar*live*...' \
  'https://<your-host>/api/v1/ideas/'

3. Understand the response

The API returns a JSON response. For list endpoints, you'll see a results array and a total count.

{
    "results": [
        {
            "id": 1,
            "title": "Welcome to Scalar",
            ...
        }
    ],
    "count": 1
}

Next steps

Now that you've made your first request, explore the rest of the documentation:

• Authentication: Detailed guide on supported auth methods.
• Responses: Learn about status codes and error formats.
• Pagination: How to handle large result sets.
• Webhooks: Set up real-time event notifications.